Pinheads

I ran through my mental list of kid-friendly-yet-not-utterly-annoying places to go, and I remembered seeing a billboard for Pinheads, a newish bowling alley on SR 37 and 136th in North Fishers. I didn't know what to expect, but it was bound to be better than a 4-year-old with cabin fever, so we piled into our truck -- bowling or bust.

We got there about 11:00, and dozens of minivans in the parking lot presaged the crowd inside. Indeed, the place was crawling with kids and their gaunt, beleaguered parents. We managed to get one of the few open lanes ($7 for shoes and a game, cha-ching) slipped on our stylish shoes, and started rolling a few.

For me, bowling is largely an olfactory experience: stale smoke; antibacterial shoe spray; lane oil; buttery popcorn and hot pretzels. But Pinheads lacked the usual smells. It’s a new building and entirely smoke-free. They use shoe spray (I hope) but it didn't seem as potent as I recall. There was lots of half-eaten food lying around, but it was all gourmet burgers and deep dish pizza. The only thing that smelled as expected was the oil, which was just enough to put me in the right frame of mind.

The lanes had some nice kid-centric features. At the end of each was a giant TV screen, alternating between Nick Jr. and ESPN (to keep dad placated). The bumpers flanking our lane went up and down automatically based on who was bowling -- a nice touch. The only thing I found disagreeable was that the ball return seemed to be a retrofitted cannon: it literally shot the balls of the hole, making the risk of pinched fingers a near-constant hazard.

After our game, we made our way over to the arcade, which contained the usual fare: ski-ball, pop-a-shot, air hockey, et. al. Most games spewed tickets as a reward for one's performance, and as is always the case, their value rivaled that of Germany's post WWI currency. But the lousy exchange rate didn't seem to bother my son: 26 tickets in trade for some sweet, glorious, forbidden candy suited him just fine. As he greedily pocketed his prize I got the feeling that he'd request a return visit sometime soon. And upon a moment's reflection, that would be fine with me, because Pinheads sure beats the hell out of Chucky Cheese.

Pinheads (Map) (Website)
13825 Britton Park Rd., Fishers, IN 46038
317-773-9988